MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO

An uncommon journey

As the nose and sole owner of his brand, with a PhD in the chemistry of perfume plants, Marc-Antoine Corticchiato is the sovereign of his lab. His unique profile affords him total artistic autonomy with Parfum d’Empire, though he can lend his talent to other projects when they arouse his interest.

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Though his family hails from Corsica, Marc-Antoine Corticchiato was born in Morocco. He grew up between his parents’ citrus groves near the ancient city of Azemmour and his family home in the village of Cuttoli Corticchiato, deep in the Corsican maquis..

A horseman since the age of eight, Marc-Antoine was a competition rider and considered becoming an equestrian professional. But his drive to understand the mysteries of scent production in aromatic plants, and why this scent varies over their life cycle, led him to study chemistry instead. For his Ph.D., he developed a new technique to analyse extracts of aromatic plants through carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance. He completed his training at the renowned École Internationale de Parfumerie de Versailles (ISIPCA).

Marc-Antoine went on to work in a research laboratory focused on the analysis of aromatic plants and extraction methods. For years he “dissected” natural raw materials and acquired in-depth knowledge of them. His work was published in international scientific reviews. .

After starting out with aromatherapeutic blends were intended, he joined a Parisian perfume laboratory. He also teaches at ISIPCA, the Versailles school of perfumery. In his quest for the best possible natural plant extracts, he has set up a production unit for essential oils in Madagascar.

Parfum d’Empire, founded in 2003, has given him the opportunity of truly expressing his fearless, physical, baroque style. His in-depth knowledge of natural raw materials allows him to unleash their full power. And to restore perfume to its original function in the history of humanity, in aphrodisiac and sacred rituals.

It is this age-old link between perfume, eroticism and spirituality that he seeks to revive with Parfum d’Empire.